Fluorescence sensing of peracetic acid by oxidative cleavage of phenylselenyl ether of 4-hydroxynaphthalimide

A new fluorescent probe for the selective detection of industrially important peracetic acid (PAA) was developed via oxidative cleavage of the phenylselenyl ether derivative of the 4-hydroxynaphthalimide. The probe showed no noticeable changes towards common oxidants and environmentally relevant metal ions and anions. Furthermore, PAA signaling was not influenced by the presence of background ionic species, except for certain redox-active species. Practical application of the probe to the determination of PAA in tap water and atmosphere was successfully executed using a smartphone as a stand-alone signal capturing and processing device.